QURGHON TEPPA, May 21, Asia-Plus -- After being closed for at least two months, the Tajik-Cypriot joint venture Tojikazot was reopened today.  

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Tojiddin Gadoyev, the engineer-in-chief with Tojikazot, said that they had received an official letter from the Tajik natural-gas distributor, Tojikgaz, that beginning on May 21, the enterprise will receive gas at the rate of 12,500 cubic meters per hour. 

“However, the enterprise is still receiving natural gas at the rate of only 8,000 cubic meters per hour,” said the engineer-in-chief.  “Today, we produced the first tons of carbamide.”  

The closed joint-stock company Tojikazot is the joint venture launched in cooperation with Cypriot company Highrock Holding Limited in March 2002.  The JV was established on the basis of the plant for producing mineral fertilizers that was constructed in Sarband in 1964.

Tajikistan owns 20 percent of the shares and the Cypriot company assumes the 80 percent ownership interest in Tojikazot.